Boot.



PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

E. G. STEARNS.

BOOT.

APPLIGATION FILED 31511.23. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

E. G. STEARNS.

BOOT.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 2a. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Zyaf @l/00V @07a UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 1e, 1905.

Application filed January 23, 1905. Serial No. 242,320.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDGAR G. STEARNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boots, ofl which the following is a specification.

It is well known to those experienced in the manufacture and sale as well as those accustomed to the wearing of waterproof boots that they have certain disadvantages ,which prevent their use to asgreat and general an extent as might otherwise be the case. In the first place boots which are made entirely of rubber are heavy and stiff if made in substantial weight and if not are incapable of withstanding much wear and tear. Rubber boots also have the disadvantage of causing the foot and calf of the leg to perspire if the boot ts at all snugly, whereas if the boot is loose the foot is apt to be rubbed and snow and water is apt to get in over the top. All-leather boots cannot well be so made as to remain waterproof for any length of time, and waterproofed woven fabric is open to the same objection.

The general object of my invention is to provide a boot so contructed as to be waterproof and durable and at the same time avoid unnecessary weight and the tendency to cause perspiration. With these features I have combined great iiexibility and durability at the instep, where there is constant iiexure,

`to better illustrate the construction.

and I have also provided a construction whereby the boot-top may be secured snugly about the leg of the wearer without the danger of tearing or rendering the boot non-waterproof. In addition to these general features it is my object to obtain a specially durable and certain joining of the'foot portion to the upper portion of the boot. These objects are obtained in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete boot, a portion being cut and separated Fig. 2 is a sectional view in perspective, showing the construction at the top of the foot portion at the side. Fig. 8 is `a horizontal sectional View taken on line 3 3, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the gusset, foot portion, and front intermediate piece.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The foot portion a consists of rubber,which preferably contains woven fabric embodied therein after the usual manner of constructing rubber boots. The precise substance is not essential except that the foot portion is y strong and substantial and completely rubbercoated upon the outside. In the best construction the sides of the foot portion taper so as to become thinner toward the top, as shown in Fig.' 2, and a lining a', of suitable woven fabric, is provided,which extends preferably to or slightly above the upper edge of the foot portion ot. At the upper edge of said foot portion is secured the tape which consists of thin but tough and durable woven fabric securely vulcanized to the outside surface of said foot portion. This forms a thin but very strong upper edge to the foot portion a, to which the other parts of the boot may be secured, as will hereinafter appear. The boot is so'proportioned that the side upper edges of the foot portion will come just below the ankle-joint of the wearer, and consequently said foot portion, which is necessarily stilf, will not interfere with the free movement of the foot.

The top c of the boot consists, preferably, of duck or canvas having cotton or woolen fabric cemented by rubber or otherwise secured thereto on the inside to form a lining and is of the ordinary height of boots of this class. The portion c does not extend across the front of the boot, but merely at the sides and back, as best shown in Fig. 1.

For a height, preferably of about three inches at the sides and back of the boot, is a piece ci' of flexible leather, the lower edge whereof is approximately coextensive with the lower edge of the top o. The leather, however, overlaps said fabric portion, so as to hide the latter when the parts are stitched together. There are preferably about four rows of stitches, all or all but one of which by preference pass through all the layers, and the leather d, top c, tape and foot portion a. This affords great security and durability and effectually prevents leakage at the top of the foot portion. The upper edge of the leather piece d is also stitched to the boot-top c.

At the open front of the boot above the foot portion a is securely stitched a piece d' of iiexible leather in the form of a gusset. It is desirable that piece d extend somewhat higher than the side piece of leather Zand be unlined. Above gusset-piece d is the gussetpiece c', which consists of woven fabric of preferably the same material as top c. Said IOO IIO

is consequently more hygienic. yalso makes the boot lighter than it would be gusset-pieces c and d are securely stitched together and to the parts c and (l, and it is de sirable that the edges be strengthened by leather bindings e. Fastening devices ff. which consist of eyelets and hooks, are placed along the front edges of the gussets, so that the boot may be drawn tight about the leg of the wearer. The embodying of the leather pieces d and d in the structure is important in. two regards that the boot may belaced tightly over'the top of the foot without danger of pulling or tearing outthe fastening devices; second, they render it possible to wear the boot thus tightly laced without giving discomfort to the wearer-for vif a boot is loose upon the foot great annoyance is caused by reason of the rubbing of the boot. on the foot. Again, if a stiff boot or shoe is tight at the front of the ankle and over the foot the tendons there located soon become sore, whereas by employing a single layer of soft leather at this point, as in my construction, the boot may be drawn tight enough to lfit the foot snugly and prevent rubbing with- .out hurting the tendons and other parts of the ankle. l\/[oreover,the life of the boot is greatly prolonged because the 'fiexure will not cause cracking, as it would do if rubber were employed at this point and drawn tight, and yet the boot is water-tight to the top of the side leathers el, and except in wading-boots this is higher than water is apt to come. The canvas or duck top c is not strictly waterproof, but is virtually so under ordinary wear in wet, mud, or snow.

The leather portion d at the sides not only renders the boot waterproof and flexible at that portion, but forms a protection to the fabric against wear by contact from exterior objects, such as underbrush or other obstructions, likely to be encountered where the use of boots of this class is necessary. Another advantage of the ieather construction isthat it is not so impervious to air as is rubber and The leather if rubber were substituted, yet the leather affords as much warmth and protection.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A boot consisting of a low, rubber foot portion, a woven-fabric top secured thereto at the back and sides, and having leather extending upwardly from the top of said foot portion, and a gusset in the front of said boot,

said leather being permanently secured outside of said top fabric by stitching, to thereby reinforce and protect the lowerportion of said top fabric.

first, they so strengthen itI 2. A boot consisting of a comparatively stiff waterproof foot portion'and a more flexible top portion at the sides and back, and a twopart gusset in front provided with fastening devices for lacing, the portion of the gusset infront of the ankle being of iiexible leather whereby the boot may be tightly laced without discomfort to the wearer or danger of tearing out said fastening devices and the top of the gusset consisting of woven fabric stitched to the ankle portion of the gusset, the leather being thus interposed between the rubber foot portion and the fabric top of the 3. An article of manufacture, a boot comprising a rubber foot portion; a woven-fabric lining therefor; a tape vulcanized to said foot portion at the upper edge thereof; a wovenfabric top, the lower edge whereof lies against the said tape; a leather covering at the sides and back of said boot-top, said covering being designed to cover the ankle portion of the boot; and rows of stitches passing through said leather and said boot-top and said tape and said foot portion.

4;. As an article of manufacture, aboot comprising a rubber foot portion; a woven-fabric lining therefor; atape vulcanized to said foot portion at the upper edge thereof; a wovenfabric top, the lower edgeV whereof lies against said tape; and a leather covering extending upward from a point slightly below the lower edge of said fabric boot-top for concealing the said lower edge thereof, said leather covering being located at the ankle portion of the boot and the above-mentioned parts being fastened together by stitching passing through all of them.

5. As an article of manufacture, a high boot consisting of a low rubber foot portion, a fabric top stitched thereto at the back and sides; a piece of leather stitched to and extending upward from said foot portion for a slight distance at the ankle of the boot, said leather being also stitched to the fabric top; and a two part gusset in front, the upper part thereof consisting of woven fabric stitched at the vertical edges to the boot-top, and the lower part of the gusset being located at the ankle and consisting of a single layer of flexible leather, stitched at the sides, top and bottom to the contiguous parts of the boot, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto sub- HOWARD M. Cox, CAROLYN RAFTERY.

IOO 

